[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 74 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S5612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PREVENT TELEPHONE FRAUD

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I would like to briefly highlight 
the work of several telecommunications companies and organizations, 
which together have created the Alliance To Outfox Phone Fraud. This 
cooperative alliance, which includes the Illinois Consolidated 
Telephone Co., is working to educate and enlist the assistance of 
consumers in preventing telephone fraud, a rapidly growing crime which 
costs consumers nearly $3.7 billion every year.
  As telecommunications technology continues to improve, the potential 
for fraudulent activity also rises. As hackers have become 
sophisticated enough to keep pace with new technology, telephone fraud 
has grown because consumers are often unaware of the new dangers. 
Telecommunications fraud takes many forms--``shoulder surfers watch or 
listen as customers enter their calling card numbers on pay phones; 
criminals posing as police officers or telephone company 
representatives try to bill calls to homes; and high-technology 
cellular thieves use cloning devices to steal cellular phone serial 
numbers.
  Summer travelers are particularly susceptible to telephone fraud. As 
we approach the hectic summer travel season, I urge consumers to take 
precautions to ensure that they do not become victims of this 
increasing crime. Certainly, the efforts of the Alliance To Outfox 
Phone Fraud to increase consumer awareness are a step in the right 
direction.

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